Why the Vitriol?

There’s an ancient Chinese proverb from 400 B.C. that says when an enemy is woke; first laugh at his strange ways, then kill him.

What to say other than it seems the enemy is on the move.

Americans are very angry, they vent daily all over social media and on all types of internet forums; their rage is palpable.

It’s even fair to say it borders on the pathological.

And the reasons go well beyond the trite explanations that are routinely trotted out.

First of all it’s down to the two things it’s been said we should never argue over; politics and religion. But for once let’s ignore the former to focus on the latter.

And by the latter I mean Christianity

There’s a tendency to write everything off to the culture wars; but like I said it doesn’t quite square up. It goes deeper.

American political scientist Samuel P Huntington had a good grasp of where things are now when he said in the ‘90’s that the new source of conflict in and between nations; would be over cultural and religious identities.

And this had to do with the remaking of a post-cold war New World Order.

Non-Americans find the level of vitriol that the country’s non-Christians direct towards Christianity and Christians in general; difficult to understand.

Of course not everyone appreciates faith it’s always been this way. It’s a given. So what!

You’d expect a lot more dispassion on the topic among non-believers for starters, even those who call themselves former Christians; seriously they opted out.

Yes the faith is counter cultural and always has been.

The internet has given these key board warriors the opportunity to preach and proliferate; and gather to themselves followers with prickling ears.

Look who can blame them in a way it’s one of the few topics left where anyone can wade forth with their jaundiced views and diatribes without censure; and pick up a whole lot of likes and plenty of pats on the back in the process. It’s the go-to populist position.

Although many like to pretend they are a persecuted minority but what do you call a collection of minority groups who align to make up the majority mmm?

It gels nicely with George Orwell’s theme of government sanctioned two minutes of hate where the populace gets to let rip daily at their enemies paraded in front of them on their TV screens; in the ultimate get your rocks off. The only outlet they have.

There are so many contradictions at play though, consider the hyped term The Separation of Church and State.

Originally a term coined by Martin Luther to keep government out of the Church it’s been turned on its head to mean keeping the church out of government. In addition it means that religious expression is to be kept out of the public square and confined to places of worship. That said the same crowd have no problem with the culture imposing itself on the Church; in fact they rather fancy the idea.

Now why would unbelievers who have no skin in the game root for this. Diabolical reasons of course.

The reasoning goes something like this; as there is no spiritual basis for Christianity might as well turn it into another political institution that mirrors and serves the culture; and pack ’em in to sing Kumbaya.

This development should come as no surprise because here’s the thing; up until 60 years ago a belief in God was considered the rational choice even for those who weren’t religious or even Christian.

Those days have gone forever and the idea now is that it’s an irrational take to have; period.